As portable electronic devices become more compact, and the number of functions performed by a given device increase, it has become a significant challenge to design a user interface that allows users to easily interact with a multifunction device. This challenge is particularly significant for handheld portable devices, which have much smaller screens than desktop or laptop computers. This situation is unfortunate because the user interface is the gateway through which users receive not only content but also responses to user actions or behaviors, including user attempts to access a device's features, tools, and functions. Some portable communication devices (e.g., mobile telephones, sometimes called mobile phones, cell phones, cellular telephones, and the like) have resorted to adding more pushbuttons, increasing the density of push buttons, overloading the functions of pushbuttons, or using complex menu systems to allow a user to access, store and manipulate data. These conventional user interfaces often result in complicated key sequences and menu hierarchies that must be memorized by the user.
Many conventional user interfaces, such as those that include physical pushbuttons, are also inflexible. This is unfortunate because it may prevent a user interface from being configured and/or adapted by either an application running on the portable device or by users. When coupled with the time consuming requirement to memorize multiple key sequences and menu hierarchies, and the difficulty in activating a desired pushbutton, such inflexibility is frustrating to most users.
Portable electronic devices commonly provide audible alerts to notify users of incoming phone calls, emails, or other messages or conditions of interest (such as a low battery warning). To prevent unwanted audible alerts in certain situations (such as during concerts, classes, movies or meetings), these devices commonly provide operating modes in which the alerts are silenced or issued through other inaudible means (such as vibrations or flashing lights). Even though inaudible alert modes are available, users often forget to activate them, as a result of which their multifunction devices may issue unwelcome audible alerts. When this happens, a user can wait for an alert to cease, or try to silence the device mid-alert through interaction with the device's user interface (e.g., buttons, stylus or touch screen). This can be challenging when the device is in the user's pocket, handbag, briefcase or backpack, in which case the user must first extract the device and then silence the alert via the device's interface. Then, even if the user manages to silence the device, should they wish to avoid further alerts they will need to once again interact with the device's interface to place the device into silent mode.
Thus, there is a need for portable electronic devices that provide improved user interfaces through which ongoing audible alerts can be readily silenced and alert modes managed.